Today, July 4, 2010, at approximately 11pm, our dear mother, Sono Sato Harris, passed away and went to be with her Lord Jesus Christ. It was an entirely peaceful parting. Our family is grieving, and yet grieving as those who have hope because of Jesus' death and resurrection for us. Goodnight, Mama.

"So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
(2 Corinthians 5:3-8)

"...the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.'" (John 11:24-26)

To all of our friends and fellow-believers around the world who have prayed for her and for our family, thank you. We are deeply grateful for your love and concern.

I would like to extend my sympathy to you and your family. I am thankful that she is with Jesus now. I also know how hard it must be to be separated for a time from her. I will be praying for you and your family.

Josh..
I know the grief of losing a loved one all to well.. I lost my dear husband in August of last year... My heart goes out to you & your family as you grieve the loss of her life here on earth but celebrate the eternal life that she's now experiencing with our LORD & SAVIOR...

Praying that God will sustain you through what certainly must be a sad, sad time. Your mother served the larger body of Christ by her ministry to you, your siblings and your father. Grace and peace to all of you.

Hearts are soft and saddened...spirits rejoice, that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord... You have risen up and called her 'Blessed'... and we are grateful that your family shared the love of a Godly woman with the rest of the world... her touch will forever be in our hearts... Our love and prayers are with you and your entire family at this time... I am so sorry for your loss...>

May God's sweet peace fill your hearts today and in all the days to come I pray that you never feel the absence of her as an ache but as a hope and an absolute revelation that fills your head up with an amazing knowledge that the face you see in your mind is waiting for you, and you will hold her and love her and hug her again forever.

I was just sharing with some friends your mother's testimony a couple of hours ago.

How you've all embrace this situation it's so encouraging and reminds me of this Sovereign Grace Song: ♫ It is not death to die, to leave this weary road and join the saints who dwell on high, who’ve found their home with God... O Jesus, conquering the grave, your precious blood has power to save... Those who trust in You will in your mercy find that it is not death to die ♫

What can I say? In my heart, I feel she is gone from us too soon, yet I know the Lord has His plans and His kingdom beyond what we are able to comprehend.
What we DO know, is that your sweet mother (& to Gregg, your wife) is rejoicing in joy unspeakable and full of glory. She dances for the King.

It is true that you grieve in HOPE, knowing you will see her again.
Your hearts are broken now, but the Lord came to heal the brokenhearted, and He will heal your pain.
Your mother's legacy will live on forever.
Bless you in the days ahead.
I am deeply saddened and grieve with you.
Our prayers will be joined with all the others offered to uphold you through this.
With much love,
Joanie and Paul Shew

Josh, as one who lost my mom when I was 19, my prayers are with your family as you grieve the loss of your dear mother. The recent pictures of her that you've posted just radiate the joy of Christ. How wonderful that she is now seeing him face to face.

My heart aches for you all and yet takes joy in the fact that He took one of His godly ones home to be with Him for all eternity. Grieving with you all.

Your mom experienced the fulfillment of Phil. 3:7-11 - But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Our prayers are with you all. How blessed each one of you are to have such a beautiful heritage. May God's abounding grace and peace and the comfort of Jesus Christ overflow your hearts in this season.

You & your family are in my thoughts and prayers. No human words can heal right now, but the Word of God is your strong tower right now! I thank God for the legacy of your Mom that lives on in you! God bless you & keep you!

I pray for God's comfort for you and your family...your mother must have been an amazing woman of God. What a great legacy. There is no doubt in my mind that she will continue to bless and influence the world through you and your siblings. You are an amazing family and such an awesome example to the Body of Christ!

We--the Rebelutionaries of the Philippines--are praying for your family. Your grief is also ours. May you find comfort, hope, and rest in God. Although we never got to meet your mom, we know she was a great woman by looking at the lives of her children. :) God bless you.

Thoughts and prayers as you grieve her loss, yet celebrate the amazing truth that on the day our nation celebrates freedom, your mother experienced ultimate freedom--from the very presence of sin. Oh what it must be like to be in the presence of Jesus!

I am praying for you and your family as you experience your year of firsts. This was the toughest for me and I know that the Lord will strengthen you daily and give you many reasons to rejoice and smile as you think of all the good times and blessings you had with her.

We hold you up in prayer as you grieve your dear wife, mom and grandmother's homegoing. We lift you up to the Lord who shall one day wipe away every tear. Thanks for all you do for HIm, the homeschooling community and the world at large. Sono's obedience to Jesus helped make it possible for all of us to partake in such wonderful blessings.

In Hm who holds us in His great love from conception throughout eternity,

Josh,
This poem help us much with during the recent passing of Peter father.
Love & prayers are with you & your family,
Sherly

I Am Standing Upon The Seashore
I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white
sails to the morning breeze and starts
for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come
to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says;
"There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull
and spar as she was when she left my side
and she is just as able to bear her
load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone
at my side says, "There, she is gone!"
There are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout;
"Here she comes!"
And that is dying.

I knew her home going we near when I read the July 3 post. I am sad, yet because He LIVES, so does she! Not only does she have fullness of life as she has never known before, but she lives on in the lives of her children and grandchildren. You truly have a goodly heritage....there is no doubt in my mind that she heard "Welcome home, and well done, good and faithful servant." Her life inspires me to be an even better wife and mother for the glory of God. We are praying for your father and your entire family, grieving for your temporary situation from one you loved so dearly. She will greatly missed, but never forgotten.

Your family has impacted us since the outset of our now twenty years of homeschooling, and we know that has its foundation in your godly mom. What an inspiring role model she has been. We pray for your entire family, for the Holy Spirit to give you His matchless comfort.

Josh, I am heartbroken to hear the news about your mom, but I'm so thankful that she lived her life for Christ and had such a great impact on her family. It makes her going to sleep so bitter sweet because we know that her Father is calling her home, but those she has to leave behind will miss her greatly. Just think though, your mom is finally able to hear, in person, the praise her loving savior gives to her "Well done my good and faithful servant." She was a good and faithful servant and now she is able to dance for the Lord forever with nothing hindering her. Praying for you all. God is good.

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